St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1887-11-26
FOR OUR YOUNG FOLKS
TRULY oAAve.


TRULY GRAVE.
Advcnture Of . Youth Who Kaew Whsa
to Risk His Llss.
On board the ship Luminary we had
two boys, differing much from each
other in character. Walter Brewer.
the captains son, was IN active fellow,
but very needless and rash We used
to think that he must resemble that
..little Jack" of the ballad, who
climed to the main-truck Of ''Old Iron
sides" There was nothing he loved
better than to perform some dangerous
and unnecessary feat On the other
hand. Arthur Clifford. son of good
widow Clifford. in the little seaport
where the ship belonged. although no
less active than Walter. was always
careful of his own safety. and took no
risks where duty did not call him. He
would not pass from one mast to an
other ON q stay, a. his companion
would sometimes do. but would take
to the shrouds in the regular manner.
Walter often challenged him to do
some perilous thing. and would
thoughtlessiy accuse him of coward
ice when he refused. as he invariably
did, where there was no necessary
end to be accomplished by accepting
the proposed risk. Yet whenever the
widows son did o piece Of work.
either on deck or aloft, it was done
thoroughly. which was more than
4 r. - N~1Ho-.. l..
Arthur did not like the imputation
Of cowardice. but he told me one day
that he could not see the need Of doing
foolish things just to show that he was
brave. l felt sure that he had more
true courage than his reckless young
shipmate, though l little anticipated
the surprising manner in which the
fact was to be demonstrated.
We were lying in one Of the many
harbOrs on the west side of Vancouver 5
Island. when the captain allowed US
an all-day's run on shore. The coast
is here very mountainous. so that we
found rock hundreds of feet high, with
gorges branching of in all directions.
In some places we climbed to such a
height. that, although our ship was q
long distance of. she had the appear
ance of being close under our feet
Presently our attention was attracted
BY the sight Of two huge. gray eagles.
that came wheeling about Us with ma
jestic sweeps, uttering loud cries. like
those Of the common fish-hawk. Some
one suggested that they probably had
a nest close at hand, and the two boys
were instantly inspired with . great
desire tn find it An eagles nest
would certainly be curiosity. whetheE
containing eggs or young.
''Oh, you wouldn't 20 up to it, Art;
you wouldn't dare tor said Walter.
YOU'D be afraid of the old birds.
Just let me get sight Of it I'll show
you how to 60 up to an eagles ncst.'
Arthur made some careless reply,
laughing good-naturedly as he did 30,
and they both commenced hunting fol
the eyrie. For some time We could
hear them shouting to each other n
they pursued the search. They
seemed at length to have separated
widely among the cliffs, and for .
while we heard nothing from them
We now discovered that, instead ol
only one couple, there were two pair
of the eagles, and this seemed to b
the reason that the boys did not keep
together. There might be two nests.
Supp0sing that the youngsters would
soon return. we did not pay much at-
tentiOn to their absence, until startled
by what seemed cry Of distress.
The eagles themselves were scream
ing. but their shrill notes could moi
quite drown the human voice that ap-
peared to be calling out in pain o.
terror.
..It's that Waltz said one of ouI
men. "He's got into some trouble
broken some Of his limbs, likely
cnough-and the old man will blame
US for it There, hear that?"
Help. help!" cried the voice. I'm
hurt. Come quick, or l shall be killed!
Oh. dear. what shall dO?"
1t was plain that the sufferer could
not oe far of; yet to bring him with
in sight, we had to make our way
through some very difficult places.
When we did get . view Of him the
peril Of his position really terrified Us.
He was at height Of some three hum
dred feet above the ground, upon the
Jagged face of . cliff. In lissure oi
this his feet and legs appeared to be
wedged, while with his hands he clung
desperately to . small projecting point.
.'Oh, oh. ohr' he cried, rs he caught
sight of US Get me out Of this
place. Get me down from here.
can't move, and the eagles will kill
me!'
He had good reason to think 50. fol
the huge birds were sweeping close te
his head. swapping their fierce beaks,
and making . noise with their wings
like that Of ships topsails when shs
is '.going in stays"
You little scamp!'' cried the second
mate, who was with US; ''now did you
ever get there? What will your faith
er saw to us, you young villain?"
.Oh, oh. oh!' walled the poor fel
low. II was going up to the eagle.
nest and slipped and got wcdged in
this crevice. can't get out Come
up quick-quickr'
Some thirty or forty feet above hin
was the eagles nest. sure enough. Il
seemed astonishing that any human
creature should ever have had thu
recklessness to attempt such . fool.
hardy feat. and still moro astonishing
that he should have been able to climt
90 far.
Upon q further view of the elf
We were appalled,. Who of Us could
feel like creeping from jag to jag ul
the side of that almost perpendiculal
rock? and how. even in case Of hi
being reached, was the half -disable<
boy to be got down? To make tn
matter worse We were brought TO
halt BY . wide chasm directly in from
of US, 50 that to reach the foot Of tn
precipicc it was necessary to seek on
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